Chemical pollution definition

Chemical pollution definition

When chemicals are released into our environment and disrupts the balance of our ecosystems, threatening our health, polluting the air we breathe and contaminating our food.

There are many sources of chemical pollution. Our technological advances have made us a species largely reliant on chemicals and these chemicals are toxic to life and our environment.

Sources of Chemical Pollution and their Effects

Agriculture – Chemicals and pesticides are used in our agricultural processes. To protect our crops we spray them with pesticides. To ensure the health of their livestock, commercial farmers spray chemicals on the pens. Excessive use of fertilizers is another source of water pollution. All of these can seep into the ground and contaminate our soil, and eventually, these chemicals will make it into our water supply, water bodies and the food we eat. These toxic elements find their way into our atmosphere too, and add to the degradation of our environment.

Transportation – Emissions from the vehicles we use in our daily lives contribute to air pollution. Cars, planes, and other conveyances give off carbon dioxide as they burn fossil fuel in the form of petroleum. The large amount of CO2 emitted by the millions of vehicles in the world today contributes to global warming. Ships also cause chemical pollution, especially those that carry crude oil. There have been several incidents of oil spills which caused some serious damages. We still don’t know the long term effects of this amount of pollution in the ocean. One thing for sure is that it’s contaminating one of our major food source… seafood.

Household Chemicals – Aerosols and regular household cleaning products may look innocent but a lot of consumer products are pollutants. Just look at the products you use on a daily basis and the warnings on their labels.

Industries and Factories – Hazardous waste comes from factories that do not dispose of them properly. Metals and solvents from industrial process can pollute our water bodies and poison aquatic life. Factories release a large amount of hydrocarbons into our atmosphere, adding to the escalating effects of global warming.

There are too many to mention, these are just some examples. We’ve come to rely on chemicals too much that it pervades every corner of the world, every facet of our lives. Know more about pollution by browsing The World Counts Stories and see where you can make a difference. We are counting on you!